Finally, I’m going to let my 21-years of fans in on all (well most!) of the secrets that hit my screen, desktop or eyeballs. Chatelaine magazine has called me one of Canada’s “smartest shoppers” so now I’ll be dishing out the goods to you in a constant stream helping you to become smarter too. The rest of the country can just pine for what we have here in terms of shopping deals. Maybe this shlog will encourage them to move here.

I have had breakfast with you with my Gazette column, you see me Tuesday midday on CTV News and I’m still doing my CJAD phone-ins, but now you can have me in your home at any time. Keep coming back for all the juicy insider information.

In Montreal, St. Lawrence Boulevard – affectionately called “The Main” and politically named Boulevard St-Laurent, always seemed to have a life of its own. The Main has ridden life’s wheel of fortune, from the prosperity of the Gay 90’s, when a trolley ride to here was a popular Sunday outing, to the depths of the Depression, when it unfortunately acquired the moniker of “Skid Row”. Merchants have discovered that it is a street that has the ability to continually redefine itself.

The proliferation of new restaurants which brought the chi chi crowd swarming nightly to the piece of the street near Sherbrooke has changed the face of it yet once again, so St. Laurent Blvd. has slowly re-evolved to the chic reputation it now enjoys. Trendy new designers and clothing shops have replaced the ethnic groceries and dry goods stores of yesteryear.

It has taken longer for this turnover to reach above Mont Royal Avenue, but it is happening. An upscale furniture strip is in progress near Marie Anne St., but today I would like to focus on a few interesting stores even further up, around Villeneuve and Laurier Avenue. The first business sells wall beds, which are so practical in space-tight apartments or condos. You or your guest can sleep quite comfortably on a real mattress rather than a scrunched one that has been folded into a couch, and you can also use more of your floor space all day long.

The second store is for those artists out there, and for those itching to let their fingers do some creating this summer – it is an artists co-op that offers great prices on supplies. The last store is one of the few women’s clothing stores that has lasted over two decades on the street.

Li-Muro, 4638 St-Laurent Blvd. at Villeneuve Ave. Phone: 514-845-0308. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.limuro.com This store offers made-to-measure wall beds, planned with the help of a designer, using the Murphy wall bed mechanism. They stock ten colors of solid wood (yellow birch, pine and oak), wood veneer and melamine. A new shade is being introduced this week – a charcoal gray reminiscent of an aged barn door. In melamine, the most popular one has a stainless steel finish. A double bed starts at about $1,000 (not including mouldings, handles, installation or delivery). You can extend the wall unit with glass-doored cabinets, desks, drawers, shelves or even a TV closet.

Coop de Solidarite St-Laurent, 4665 St. Laurent Blvd. Phone: 514-289-1009. Hours: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Join the 600 artist members of this co-op, and you too can take advantage of their 25% – 40% off prices. After you pay a membership fee of $15 for the first year, and $5 for each year afterwards, you can stock up on acrylic paints by Stevenson or Tri Art, oils by Rembrandt, Stevenson, Van Gogh, loads of easels, water color paper, sketch pads, canvas and paper (kraft and Stonehenge) by the yard. To draw and paint there are pencils, markers, pastels, watercolor ink and, of course, brushes. On Thursday evenings you can take advantage of their live model sessions, which cost $9 for members and $11.50 for non-members. Framing is available and even hypo-allergenic paint thinner. http://www.coopstlaurent.org Cage aux Soldes, 5120 St. Laurent Blvd. at Laurier Ave. Phone: 514-270-2037. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p..m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For the past twenty-three years, what you have been able to find here is a selection of ladies’ quality clothing in sizes 4-18. The latest styles, including coats by Nuage, are sold at about half of the manufacturer’s suggested prices. They choose samples or ends-of-lines (Eric Alexandre, Steilmann, Conviction, Sandwich, Finlha, French Dressing) in order to bring you these good prices.

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I am always entranced by stores which have managed to stay open for decades, and I enjoy pointing them out to you. The one thing that you can be sure of is that these places are going to offer great customer service, since that is often the reason they have managed to stand the test of time.

Joseph Schreter is the “J” in J. Schreter, and he opened his store seventy-eight years ago selling clothing and footwear for men and boys. Try to imagine opening a store in 1928 and surviving the depression, when people had no money and getting merchandise was difficult, then going through WWII, when finding wares was even more demanding. People were not interested in styles in those trying times – just having a warm coat and boots were important. After the war, there was tons of Army surplus – men’s pants, coats and boots – so Schreter scooped them up and sold them at good prices. Joseph’s son Irving eventually took over the store along with Barry Kratz, and now the business has passed on to the third generation, Irving’s sons Steve and Joey.

Leo Laurent Lozeau and his wife opened up eighty years ago, starting out doing wedding photos and film processing, and then segued into photography equipment. Their daughter Lise helped her parents out in the store, and eventually her husband, Jean Simard, came on board, and since 1973 they have been running the show. Jean Simard was always ahead of the pack, offering the first one-hour in-house laboratory in 1979, the first 90 minute e-slide lab and Quebec’s first digital lab.

Simard understands the importance of an informed customer and has been offering workshops for at least thirty years. Nowadays there are over seventy-five each month. Their staff gets up to three learning sessions a week to teach them about the new equipment that comes in. This combination of knowing what the customers will want and staff who can explain the differences in the products has kept them going all these years. Third generation Manon and Stephane are in place to keep the store going for the future.

Michael Zytynsky opened his deli in 1922 in Point St Charles, and his son Walter kept it going there until 2000 when he retired – sort of. Walter’s daughter Angel had been running a second location in Rosemont, and it didn’t take him long to get bored and go back to work part-time in her store. This summer, fourth generation Alyssa is learning the ropes. For me, this place has the best smoked meat and turkey in town.

J. Schreter, 4358 St. Laurent Blvd. at Marie-Anne St. Phone: 514-845-4231. Hours: Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m www.schreter.com The men’s and boys’ (even husky) clothing (Point Zero, Dex, Columbia, Esprit, North Face) in everything from suits to jeans and underwear (including non-iron Enro shirts), are all still here for wonderful prices. Ask for their footwear (Converse, Nike, Birkenstock, Reebok, Adidas) loyalty card in order to get $50 off on your sixth pair of shoes. Nowadays women can find workout clothes, casual things (Lady Dutch, Groggy) and undies. They have a large staff who are exceptionally helpful and can find you suspenders, one-piece long johns, handkerchiefs and even garters for men’s shirts. Don’t forget to look for the liquidation corner. The store motto, “No hassle money back guarantee”, is quite true. For camp lists and school uniforms, this joint is one stop shopping. Other location: 6361 Transcanadienne (514-630-1096).

L.L. Lozeau, 6229 St. Hubert St at Bellechasse St. Phone: 514-274-6577. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.lozeau.com For your Pentax, Nikon and Minolta cameras, photographic supplies, lenses, tripods, filters, reflectors and camera repairs, come here to a store that’s been ahead of the trends for 80 years and has been beautifully updated in its new premises. Photo finishing, online printing, digitization, equipment rental and tons of workshops are all available as well as books, albums, frames and professional equipment.

Zytynsky’s Deli, 3350 Beaubien St. East at 12th Ave. Phone: 514-722-0826. Hours: Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (September-June Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). For four generations, traditions go on at this eighty-seven-year-old shop. The most popular sellers are their old-fashioned smoked meat (still made by hand in the time-honoured tradition), old-fashioned ham, knockwurst and kobassa. You will note, if you try these or any other of their fifty different deli products, that their wonderful blend of seasonings is less salty than most others around town. Do try their delicious homemade pyrohy (pierogi) filled with cottage cheese and potato, cheddar cheese and potato, sauerkraut at $5.50/dozen or cabbage rolls at $6.50/lb. Frozen pierogies by Supreme sell like hot cakes at three bags for $9.99: cottage cheese and potato, cheddar cheese and potato, sauerkraut and mushroom, blueberry and strawberry. Smart shopping deal – After you buy ten sandwiches here, the eleventh is on the house.

The brakes have been pressed on downloading music a wee bit, because perhaps we have been made more conscious of the loss of income to the artists and therefore feel a bit guilty about doing it.

However, for the student and others with less disposable income, the cost of CD’s has become so pricey – at minimum wage, it could take an entire 4-hour shift to buy one new CD – that I’d like to offer an option.

There is a way to buy CD’s at more reasonable prices than the well-known music retail stores, and that is to shop the second-hand stores for them. We are lucky that we have a “CD street” in town where there are a bunch of stores clustered near each other, so that shopping for them is made easier. If one place doesn’t have what you want, then ease on down the road to the next one.

Mont Royal Avenue, starting just a bit East of St. Denis Street and then continuing East, is the haven where you will find these neat treasure shops. These stores also sell DVD’s, some used books, perhaps vinyl records and even some pre-owned computer games.

You can be less concerned in terms of quality and sound with CD’s – unlike cassettes and vinyl before them, they hold up much better in their second-hand versions.

L’Echange, 713 Mont Royal Ave. East at Pontiac St. Phone: 514-523-6389. Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. After thirty-one years in the business, this shop is one of the biggest around. You can traverse the three aisles and get deals on the used CD’s and DVD’s (good for jazz, pop, blues, folk, rock and French, classical). There is also a small selection of games for Xbox, Game Cube and Playstation and some French books at half price or less.

Marche du Disque, 793 Mont Royal Ave. East at St. Hubert St. Phone: 514-526-3575. Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rummage through this store with its 10,000 used CD’s, 700 DVD’s and 4,000 new imports to find what you want. Collectors across the country head to the basement here where they can find the biggest selection (perhaps 20,000) of used vinyl, oldies and collectors’ items. You can find some of these also on the main floor.

Le Fox Troc, 819 Mont Royal Ave. East at St. Hubert St. Phone: 514-521-9856. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Neatly displayed alphabetically on two walls, 90% of the store is for CD’s and DVD’s (10% vinyl). Expect some French music, lots of pop and world beats as well.

Le Free Son, 1477 Mont Royal Ave East at Fabre St. Phone: 514-521-5159. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. www.freesonrock.com One long and narrow aisle takes you all along the wall of used CD’s and DVD’s, and the other one takes you back to the front with new CD’s. You’ll find used progressive rock, metal, classic rock and francophone music here. Two CD players are available on which you can check out your selections.

Luddites will not be interested in this column. Enjoy the rest of your Gazette. In fact, even I don’t really enjoy going to these stores. However the techies out there, the guys (mostly) who love to tinker with electronic objects, will be grabbing their plastic and running out the door.

You might be interested to know that there are supermarkets that don’t include food. These stores are full of aisles of (mostly) black things that give fix-it junkies a high – and they’re legal. The first two shops below (Addison Electronics and Access Electronics) buy bales of whatchamacallits and sell them in rows and rows of neatly lined up and identified boxes (not that that helps me). The inventory is there until they are all sold out, which could take up to a year for some things. So there is turnover in the stock, although I must admit that it always looks the same to me. There is also a core of stock items that always sell, and the last store, Active, works in this way.I do like the idea that things can be fixed and saved.

And I have a family made up of male geeks who think stores like these are the be-all and end-all. Thank goodness they can help me plug in.

Addison Electronics, 8018 20th Avenue at Jarry St. Phone: 514-376-1740. Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This double store sells surplus and bankruptcy deals, and is an electronic buff’s idea of heaven. The main room is a supermarket of mechanical and electronic parts for CB’s, sound systems, TV’s, computers, antennas, burglar alarms (residential and commercial), DVD, MP3 and MP4 players and phones. The audio department is being renovated. The depot on the left has more computer oriented thing-a-ma-jigs: power supplies, boards, switches, pins, cables, fans, resistors, connectors, etc. Other smaller locations with higher prices: Terrebonne, 1750 ch. Gascogne (450-964-4499); Point-aux Trembles, 11,990 Sherbrooke E. (514-640-7799).

Acces Electronique, 43B Brunswick Blvd. at Des Sources Blvd., Dollard des Ormeaux. Phone: 514-421-2755. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. http://www.acceselectronique.ca Handy guys swoon when they see this large airy store full of specialty electronic parts. High end, better quality cables (audio, video, computer, speakers, electric, etc.), 38 varieties of cell phone and camera batteries and chargers too, hubs, routers, speaker boxes, fans, rolls and rolls of wire, miniature cameras, DVD burners, telephone jacks, parts for alarm systems, car audio, soldering tools and satellite accessories are all here to play with. The store also installs car audio equipment and does some computer repairs. Just around now, they will be adding industrial and commercial surplus to this mix: water pumps, relays, capacitors to run motors, switches and many other items in this genre.

Active Tech Electroniques, 5349 Ferrier St. at Decarie Blvd. Phone: 514-731-7441. Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Winter Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) http://ww.active-tech.ca. Though our world has only been conscious of the electronic revolution more recently, this company has been open since 1971 and has nine stores in Canada. Electronic technicians, hobbyists and students are the main shoppers here. They inventory at least 7,500 parts in stock and warehouse thousands more. The aisles of whatchamacallits: cables, connectors, fans, wires, switches, chips for boards, diodes, resistors and transistors for audio and sound are for testing, repair, design, research and development. They sell the industry’s leading suppliers such as Fluke, Tektronix, Cooper Tools, Kester, Loctite, Hammond, Mode, Startech, NTE. Other location: 6080 Metropolitain East (514-256-7538).

In the summer it is easy to be green (despite what Kermit sings), because the pleasure of riding a bike can beat mass transit or riding in cars. The fresh air blowing across your face and the sensation of being in your environment instead of watching it like a tv show from a car window makes bike riding way more enjoyable.

Those who don’t yet own a bike can buy a second-hand one reasonably priced by going to one of the stores below. They make sure the bikes are tip top and in running order. If you pick one up at a garage sale, you don’t know what repairs might be needed or if riding it might even be dangerous (old tires exploding, worn brakes, etc).

If you’re thinking you’d rather buy a new bicycle, but only have a small budget, be aware that the manufacturers of lower priced new bikes may have skimped on quality in order to sell at a certain price point, so they may be made with such things as plastic brake levers or brake mechanisms which break easily. It might be better to aim for a re-built one from a bike shop.

Some tips from the pros about avoiding having your bike stolen:

– Try not to buy one that is too flashy, since those are taken more often

– Don’t lock bikes onto parking signs (like the ones mentioning sector parking), since the signs can be pulled out of the ground and your lock slipped off

– Don’t lock your lock close to the ground, since it is easier that way to break it with a hammer

Recycle Cycle , 5501 de Maisonneuve Ouest at Girouard Ave. Phone: 514-486-2453. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. This business takes quality bike frames and builds them into city bikes which would sport hybrid wheels, 10-speeds, no drop bars and an easier shifting system. The rest of the stock (mountain, racing, cruisers) are used bikes in the $150-$250 range. They can inspect, repair and tune-up (basic one $35) your bikes. If you want to get rid of an old bike, they accept donations. Other locations: Velos Villeneuve, 75 Villeneuve West. (514-282-8356); Bicycles Beaubien, 207 Beaubien East (514-277-2453).

Cycle Pop,1000 Rachel East at Parc Lafontaine. Phone: 514-526-2525. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. http://www.cyclepop.ca This store usually has a huge stock of used bikes, but the transit strike depleted most of it. However if you want one of their re-built models (average price $125), the best time to catch one is on Friday afternoons or Saturday mornings, as they disappear quickly. Normally about 30% of the store is second-hand, which might be 10-speed converted hybrids, mountain, 60’s retro or old racing styles. All of the used bicycles get new tires and are re-checked and adjusted to be in good working condition. There is a thirty-day warranty for adjustments to the brakes or the gears, etc. (not on parts). You can rent bikes too, and have one tuned up ($24, $44 or $99). Apartment and condo dwellers take note – they store bikes for the winter. In September their spinning classes will begin again. Two interesting services that they offer are helping you map biking circuits and they also organize bike tours in America and Europe.

Doug Anakin Sports, 454 Beaconsfield Blvd. at Woodland Ave., Beaconsfield. Phone: 514-695-0785. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Though there are some adult mountain and hybrid models in the $80-$120 price range here, the majority of the used bikes are children’s (starting at $30), since this 43-year-old business has made it a habit of recycling long before it was in vogue. West Islanders are used to coming in to trade in and trade up for the next size in bicycles, skis, and snow boards. How many of you have a garage full of sporting goods which were used only once? Instead of falling into that syndrome, this store will rent you equipment to try out the sport (alpine skis, snow boards, bikes), or you can buy it second-hand and save a bundle. New equipment is also sold. Their new bikes are by Louis Garneau, which are good and reliable and range from $269 to $389.

Those of you who have just moved will be scouring the stores soon for a little this or that to spiff up your new abode. Today I am offering you three stores which will not break the bank, since they are all liquidation clearance outlets for home accessories. When things are so inexpensive, it doesn’t hurt the pocketbook as much to buy something trendy, and if it isn’t cool anymore, or you really can’t stand it after awhile, you can just chuck it for something else. In making over any space, some of you will probably be wondering what’s in and what’s out in home accessorizing.

I enjoy watching the trends in home decor and color, since art was my background before this gig. In reading a May issue of New York magazine I came across their predictions of what’s on the horizon, so I thought I’d share some of them with you:

gray is the next chocolate brown

crystals are the next hot thing for lighting

brass is following chrome

trapezoids are replacing rectangles

wallpaper is coming back

lavender follows hot pink

ornate will eclipse sleek

op art has returned

cork is really big

velcro is replacing magnets

and making your own furniture is the next hot hobby (replacing knitting)

Adv Entrepot, 645 Wellington St. at McGill St. Phone: 514-866-5580. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. http://www.adv-imports.com You just never know when you will bump into a place where you’ll find deals. This one, in an old building in Old Montreal, has all kinds of inexpensive (as low as $1-$7) home accessories which were samples, seconds or ends-of-lines. Expect to find lots of cushions, rugs, planters, wrought iron things, fireplace screens, bath accessories, rugs, curtains, table linens and candles.

Warshaw Maison, 145 Atwater Ave. at St. Ambroise St. Phone: 514-933-2250. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When Warshaw was uprooted from the Main it re-planted itself facing the Atwater Market. In this re-incarnation it concentrates on kitchen and household items (trays, frames, gadgets, cutting boards, baking dishes, table linens, bamboo mats, place mats, shower curtains, bathroom accessories, area rugs and runners, fondue pots and candles). Dinner sets for four can be as low as $12.99 and go up to $79.99, but there’s also lots of mix and match possibilities and tons of white dishes in all shapes, including square, rectangle and star. For your windows, curtain panels start at $6.99 and go up to only $19.99, and there’s always lots to choose from. If you see it here and like it, grab it, because it most likely won’t be here next week. Prices are kept low, since they buy liquidation deals and pass the savings on to you. There is a plant section in the store with oddities like Venus flytrap, lucky bamboo, money trees and ginkgo biloba. Other smaller location: Cote des Neiges Plaza.

DixVersions Depot, 8530 De l’Esplanade Ave. at the corner of De Liege St. Phone: 514-745-3610. Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you pined for the furnishings in the DixVersions stores but couldn’t afford them, everything in this store is from there but discounted significantly. The accessories are 50% of what they sold for in the store and furniture is 30% to 70% off. This is the best part – they then take an additional 20% off here. Expect to find furniture, lamps, tables, vases, sofas, shower curtains, stools, rugs, desks, mirrors, etc. This is a temporary location which could be closed by November – or not.